Today marks the first day of the 2014 Major League Baseball's World Series. This best-of-seven playoff will feature American League champion Kansas City Royals taking on National League champion San Francisco Giants, beginning with Game One in Kansas City, Missouri. But while fans watching from the Royals' Kauffman Stadium and in living rooms nationwide focus on the game, standards developed by members of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation will be providing important support to a wide variety of technologies that make the World Series possible. While baseball has a lot of essential equipment - bats, gloves, bases - the humble ball that gives the sport its name is arguably the most important. After all, there'd be no way to throw the World Series' first pitch without it. And ANSI member and audited designator ASTM International has developed a standard that helps make sure the baseballs used are at their best. ASTM F1887-14, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Coefficient of Restitution (COR) of Baseballs and Softballs, provides a uniform test method based on ball speed for baseballs and softballs intended to be hit by wooden and metal bats during baseball and softball games.
When a batter is standing at the plate, ready to swing, an incoming pitch can come at them at speeds topping 100 miles per hour, making safety precautions like helmets and mouth guards an important consideration. ANSI/ADA 99-2001 (R2013), Athletic Mouth Protectors and Materials, sets down a specification for thermoplastic or thermosetting polymeric materials that can be used to create a fitted mouth guard for use during sporting events. This American National Standard (ANS), which was developed by ANSI member and accredited standards developer the American Dental Association (ADA), also covers requirements for related packaging and labeling, among other contents.
While most baseball fans will take in the World Series from a barstool at their favorite watering hole or relaxing on their couch at home, a small number of lucky individuals will get to see this iconic event play out in person. ICC 300-2007, Standard for Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating and Grandstands, provides safety guidance for the use of grandstands and bleachers used at baseball games, concerts, and a wide array of sporting and cultural events. The standard, which covers the installation, operation, and maintenance of these structures, was developed by ANSI member and accredited standards developer the International Code Council (ICC).
For many baseball traditionalists, the World Series is best enjoyed with snacks that have long been identified with the game of baseball, including hotdogs, peanuts, and caramel corn. A standard developed by ANSI-accredited standards developer and organizational member the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) can help to reduce the risk of spoilage in peanuts, including those bagged for consumption or included with certain brands of caramel corn. ASAE S410.2 JUL2010, Moisture Measurement - Peanuts, provides this guidance in the form of a uniform method for determining the moisture content of unground peanuts.
Whether you're rooting hard for the Royals or Giants, or just a casual fan enjoying the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd, voluntary consensus standards will be there, supporting the magic of baseball throughout this year's World Series and beyond.